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12) If the U.S. Major League Club, for any reason, fails to sign the Japanese Player within the 30-day period, the U.S. Major League Club’s negotiation rights shall lapse and the U.S. Major League Clubs shall have no obligation to pay the Japanese Player’s Japanese Club the amount of its successful bid (or any other obligation whatsoever). Further, another request for posting with respect to that Japanese Player shall be prohibited until the following November 1.

The number 4 is unlucky in Japanese culture, also. When Frenchman Jean Alesi and Japanese driver Satoru Nakajima were teammates with the Tyrrell Formula One racing team in 1990, Alesi was originally assigned to drive car #3, and Nakajima #4 (in F1, having the lower number in the team reflects having scored more points the season before, and is regarded as being the sign of the team leader). Nakajima, though, did not want to drive car #4, and asked Alesi if he'd switch numbers, which he graciously agreed to do.

My wife and I went to a fancy dinner at a friend's house, catered by a manic 60 year old gay Malaysian. The food was decent, and then he did everyone's Chinese horoscope. He told my wife, in front of everyone, that based on her Chinese Zodiac sign that she should "definitely get her female parts checked by a doctor". He told the same thing to another woman 12 years older, and I presume he believed every single woman on earth my wife's age, or 12/24 years older or younger should have been checked too. Quite silly.